Technical feedback is one of the biggest things teachers have to offer that students need, of course, and like any good teacher mine metes it out in measured doses.  But in the past two lessons there’s no getting around I’ve gotten lots of it – last week it was the bow hold – bend the thumb!  In yesterday’s lesson we worked on the left hand, especially my hand position when I’m up on the E string.

This E string position has been difficult for me all along.  I have somewhat fat fingers, but I have to scrunch them up anyway, of course – the notes are where they are and it’s the player’s responsibility to find them.  But in addition to that, the quality of the placement of the finger is really what we’re working on –  it’s not that I’m out of tune, per se, rather it’s that my fingers need to be more spritely and soft to make a better sound.

Both of these technical bits – the thumb and the angle of the hand/fingers on the E string are about tone.  I’m all about this kind of technical feedback.  The focus on tone is one thing I love about the Suzuki Method –  if you can make a beautiful sound come out of this thing then it doesn’t really matter what you’re playing or whether you can name the notes!

Thanks for reading.

Ryan